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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ball · prune · vault · toast · mark · pitcher · bore · branch

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bore — to drill
  3. vault — a safe
  4. ball — a great time
  5. branch — a division
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — a grade
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. toast — bread
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bore — to tire
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. bore — gave birth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com